Non Christian Religions: Islam
The History of Islam
In the seventh century, Muhammad claimed
the angel Gabriel visited him. During these angelic visitations, which
continued for about 23 years until Muhammad's death, the angel purportedly
revealed to Muhammad the words of Allah (the Arabic word for “God” used by
Muslims). These dictated revelations compose the Qur'an, Islam's holy book.
Islam means “submission,” deriving from a root word that means “peace.” The
word Muslim means “one who submits to Allah.”
The Doctrine of Islam
Muslims summarize their doctrine in six
articles of faith:
1. Belief in one Allah: Muslims believe
Allah is one, eternal, creator, and sovereign.
2. Belief in the angels
3. Belief in the prophets: The prophets
include the biblical prophets but end with Muhammad as Allah’s final prophet.
4. Belief in the revelations of Allah:
Muslims accept certain portions of the Bible, such as the Torah and the
Gospels. They believe the Qur'an is the preexistent, perfect word of Allah.
5. Belief in the last day of judgment and
the hereafter: Everyone will be resurrected for judgment into either paradise
or hell.
6. Belief in predestination: Muslims
believe Allah has decreed everything that will happen. Muslims testify to
Allah’s sovereignty with their frequent phrase, inshallah, meaning, “if God
wills.”
The Five Pillars of Islam
These five tenets compose the framework
of obedience for Muslims:
1. The testimony of faith (shahada): “la ilaha illa allah. Muhammad rasul Allah.” This means, “There is no deity
but Allah. Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.” A person can convert to Islam
by stating this creed. The shahada shows that a Muslim believes in Allah alone
as deity and believes that Muhammad reveals Allah.
2. Prayer (salat): Five ritual prayers must be performed
every day.
3. Giving (zakat): This almsgiving is a
certain percentage given once a year.
4. Fasting (sawm): Muslims fast during Ramadan in
the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. They must not eat or drink from dawn
until sunset.
5. Pilgrimage (hajj): If physically
and financially possible, a Muslim must make the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi
Arabia at least once. The hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic
calendar.
•
A Muslim's entrance into paradise
hinges on obedience to these Five Pillars. Still, Allah may reject them. Even
Muhammad was not sure whether Allah would admit him to paradise (Surah 46:9;
Hadith 5.266).
Compared to Christianity, Islam has some
similarities but significant differences. Like Christianity, Islam is
monotheistic. However, Muslims reject the Trinity—that God has revealed Himself
as one in three Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Muslims claim that Jesus was one of the most important prophets—not God’s Son. Islam asserts that Jesus, though born of a virgin, was created like Adam. Muslims do not believe Jesus died on the cross. They do not understand why Allah would allow His prophet Isa (the Islamic word for "Jesus") to die a torturous death. Yet the Bible shows how the death of the perfect Son of God was essential to pay for the sins of believers (Isaiah 53:5-6; John 3:16; 14:6; 1 Peter 2:24).
Muslims claim that Jesus was one of the most important prophets—not God’s Son. Islam asserts that Jesus, though born of a virgin, was created like Adam. Muslims do not believe Jesus died on the cross. They do not understand why Allah would allow His prophet Isa (the Islamic word for "Jesus") to die a torturous death. Yet the Bible shows how the death of the perfect Son of God was essential to pay for the sins of believers (Isaiah 53:5-6; John 3:16; 14:6; 1 Peter 2:24).
Islam
teaches that the Qur'an is the final authority and the last revelation of
Allah. The Bible, however, was completed in the first century with the Book of
Revelation. The Bible warns against anyone adding to or subtracting from God’s
Word (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6; Galatians
1:6-12; Revelation 22:18). The Qur’an, as a claimed addition to God’s
Word, directly disobeys God’s command.
Muslims believe that paradise can be earned through keeping the Five Pillars. The Bible, in contrast, reveals that sinful man can never measure up to the holy God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Only by God’s grace may sinners be saved through repentant faith in Jesus (Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Because of these essential differences and contradictions, Islam and Christianity cannot both be true. The Bible and Qur’an cannot both be God’s Word. The truth has eternal consequences.
Muslims believe that paradise can be earned through keeping the Five Pillars. The Bible, in contrast, reveals that sinful man can never measure up to the holy God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Only by God’s grace may sinners be saved through repentant faith in Jesus (Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:8-9).
Because of these essential differences and contradictions, Islam and Christianity cannot both be true. The Bible and Qur’an cannot both be God’s Word. The truth has eternal consequences.
The
Bible has much to say about being influenced by evil spirits, demons or Satan
and it is the most relevant text in this regard with which to compare
Muhammad’s condition as found in the Quran, Hadith and other Islamic
sources.
In the account of the possessed boy
in Mark we read about how the demon, “convulsed
the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the
mouth.”
(Mark 9:20). Interestingly there is Islamic material where
"The authoritative Hadith relate that Muhammad used to faint
whenever revelation came to him. It is claimed he used to act like a drunkard. In his book, Al-Qur’an al-Majid, Darwaza claims that Muhammad was taken out of
this world.
Abu Huraira
says that ‘whenever Muhammad received revelation, he was overwhelmed by
trembling.’ Another account says: ‘He became distressed, foaming at the mouth and closing his eyes. At
times he snorted like a young camel’ (Ahmad b. Hanbal I,
34, 464, VI, 163)." (The True Guidance (Part Four): An
Introduction to Quranic Studies, p.
9;
The Qur’an—often spelled as Quran or Koran—is the primary holy text of
the Islamic faith. According to Muslim beliefs, the
words of the Qur’an were dictated to Muhammad, who relayed them orally to his
followers. The term Qur’an literally means “the
recitation.” This message was delivered by Muhammad approximately 600 years
after the earthly ministry of Jesus.
Islam teaches that Muhammad was accosted by the angel
Gabriel during a dream and told to memorize a certain message. For several
years, Muhammad kept this to himself, thinking he was being attacked by a
demon. Once his wife convinced him otherwise, he began to preach according to
these received words. Over the next twenty-plus years, Muhammad gradually
delivered more and more of the message. His followers memorized his words,
maintaining an entirely oral record of the Qur’an. Only minor portions were
inscribed on leaves, rocks, and bones.
Islam considers the Qur’an to be the
perfect, eternal, beautiful message of Allah and the only necessary proof of
Muhammad’s status as a prophet. The words of the Qur’an were kept in purely
oral form until after Muhammad’s death. At that time, the text was assembled
into writing through the efforts of several early Islamic leaders. The Qur’an
is shorter than the New Testament of the Bible, but, according to Islamic
theology, it can only be truly understood when read in its original Arabic
dialect. Islamic theology is based on both the Qur’an and various oral
traditions collected over the centuries.
As Islam continued to spread, variations
within the Qur’an began to arise. This was due to continued oral memorization,
alternate writings on leaves and bones, and differences of opinion between
Muslims on what Muhammad had actually said. These disagreements were serious
enough to spark violence. A succeeding caliph, Uthman,
ordered all written copies of the Qur’an, including scraps, to be collected.
These were given to a panel of scholars who were tasked with determining the
“correct” words and pronunciations. Afterwards, Uthman
sent a single copy of the written Qur’an to each of the major regions of the
Empire, and ordered all prior copies—in all forms—to be destroyed.
This stands in stark contrast to the history of the New Testament.
This stands in stark contrast to the history of the New Testament.
The Hadith, in Islam, is second in authority
only to the Quran. The Hadith is a record of the
prophet Muhammed's life, actions, and deeds. A
saying in the Hadith is called a sunnah. These sunnah were transmitted by word of mouth
down through the centuries having been memorized first by Muhammad's companions and then later by subsequent Muslims. Therefore, the Hadith is the
written record of the oral traditions, passed down from Muslim to Muslim, of what Mohammed was supposed to have said and done.
The Qur'an is considered to be the
absolute and infallible word of Allah. The Hadith, however, though the words of
the inspired prophet Muhammad, are not necessarily infallible. The oldest
collection to date dates from the 9th century.
Islamism is different from Islam. Islam
is a religion with several branches, while Islamism is a religious and
political movement within Islam, based on certain literal interpretations of
the Quran. In particular, Islamism seeks to conform society to Sharia, the
moral and religious system of law that comes from the Quran. Sharia defines a
strict moral code for almost every aspect of societal and personal
life—everything from trade regulations to personal hygiene—and it interprets
the word Islam (which means “submission”)
quite literally, requiring that every person either submit to Sharia or die.
Surah 3:3-4 He sent down to you the
Book with the Truth, confirming what came before it; and He sent down the Torah
and the Gospel. 4. Aforetime, as guidance for mankind; and He sent down the
Criterion. Those who have rejected God’s signs will have a severe punishment.
God is Mighty, Able to take revenge.
Surah 18:27. And
recite what was revealed to you from the Book of your Lord. There is no
changing His words, and you will find no refuge except in Him.
Surah 7:157 Those
who follow the Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet, whom they find mentioned in
the Torah and the Gospel in their possession. He directs them to righteousness,
and deters them from evil, and allows for them all good things, and prohibits
for them wickedness, and unloads the burdens and the shackles that are upon
them. Those who believe in him, and respect him, and support him, and follow
the light that came down with him—these are the successful.
Surah 5:47. So let the people of the Gospel
rule according to what God revealed in it. Those who do not rule according to
what God revealed are the sinners.
Surah 5:68. Say, “O People of the Scripture! You have no basis until you uphold
the Torah, and the Gospel, and what is revealed to you from your Lord.” But
what is revealed to you from your Lord will increase many of them in rebellion
and disbelief, so do not be sorry for the disbelieving people.
Surah 10:94. If you are in doubt about what We
revealed to you, ask those who read the Scripture before you. The truth has
come to you from your Lord, so do not be of those who doubt.
What’s
the difference between Sunni
Muslims and Shia Muslims?
Answer: The main difference between
Sunnis and Shias lies in their interpretation of the rightful succession of
leadership after the death of the prophet Muhammad. The declaration of faith to
which all Muslims assent is this: There is no God but Allah, whose prophet is
Muhammad. However, the Shiites add an extra phrase at the end: and Ali is the
friend of God.
Because the Shiites passionately attest to
Ali being the successor to Muhammad, much feuding and division have been caused
in the world of Islam, not unlike the feuding between Protestants and Roman
Catholics in Europe during the Reformation. However, the schism that sets up
the major sects of Islam is not due to doctrinal issues, as between Protestants
and Catholics, but is grounded in the identity of the “true successor” to
Muhammad.
Among the close disciples of Muhammad was
Ali, his son-in-law, who was most familiar with his teachings. However, when
Muhammad died in A.D. 632, the followers bypassed Ali, whom the Shiites claim
as the rightful successor to Muhammad.
Instead, a cousin of Muhammad’s third
successor, Uthman (A.D. 644-656), called Mu’awiya Umayyad, declared himself caliph.
When he died in A.D. 680, his son Yazid usurped the caliphate instead of
Ali’s youngest son, Hussein. The feud between rightful successors or caliphs
was fought at the battle of Karbala. Hussein was slain, but his sole son, Ali,
survived and continued the line of succession. Yazid, however, gave rise to the Ummayad line of succession, from which
modern-day Sunnism arose.
In terms of actual practice, the Sunni
Muslims pray five times a day: the fajr, the zohr, the asar, the maghrib and finally the isha (“darkness”).
Shia Muslims only pray three times—morning,
lunchtime and sunset.
Another
important
difference between the two sects is that Shia Muslims permit fixed-term
temporary marriage, known as muttah. Muttah was originally permitted at
the time of the Prophet and is now being promoted in Iran by an unlikely
alliance of conservative clerics and feminists, the latter group seeking to
downplay the obsession with female virginity which is prevalent in both forms
of Islam, pointing out that only one of the Prophet's thirteen wives was a
virgin when he married her.
Both Shiite Muslims and Sunni Muslims are
involved in terrorism. Shiite groups include Hizbollah in Lebanon and the Iranian
Revolutionary Guard Corps/Quds Force. Sunni groups include al-Qaeda, ISIS/ISIL,
the Taliban in Afghanistan, and Boko-Haram.
Iran is overwhelmingly Shia - 89 percent. Shia
Muslims also form a majority of the population of Yemen, Azerbaijan, Bahrain
and 60 percent of the population of Iraq. There are also sizeable Shia
communities along the east coast of Saudi Arabia and in Lebanon. The well-known
guerrilla organization Hezbollah, which forced the Israelis out of southern
Lebanon in 2000, is Shia. Worldwide, Shias constitute 10 to 15 percent of the
overall Muslim population, but they make up the majority of the radical,
violent element of Islam.
The Christian west before Islam
The west after Islam
The expansion of the Muslim hordes was stopped from moving into France by "The Hammer" Charles Martel in 732 AD at the Battle of Tours.
Islam was again stopped from pushing into Europe at the "Gates of Vienna" on Sept. 11 1683 by the Polish King Jan III Sobieski. A date important to Osama Bin Laden.
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